| ⚡ TL;DR — F9 Park Islamabad in 30 Seconds: Every key fact before you visit. All sections with full details below. ✓ Official name: Fatima Jinnah Park, also called F-9 Park, Capital Park, or F9 Park Islamabad ✓ Location: Sector F-9, Islamabad Capital Territory, bounded by Jinnah Avenue (south) and Kashmir Highway (north) ✓ Size: 304 hectares 750 acres comparable to New York’s Central Park ✓ Opened: 1992. Designed by Michael Japero. Master plan by Japan International Cooperation Agency ✓ Entry fee: PKR 30 per person. Children under a certain height typically free ✓ Timings: 9:00 AM to 11:00 PM daily (10:30 AM to 11 PM per CDA; confirm on public holidays) ✓ Gates: 5 gates Mehran (G-9 side), Bolan (F-10 side), Khyber (E-9 side), Ravi (F-8 side), Gate 5 (vaccination/Citizen Club) ✓ Jogging track: Approximately 5.3 km connecting all gates ✓ Key facilities: Leisure Arena (swimming, bowling, arcade), cricket ground, McDonald’s, library, fitness parks, mosque ✓ Nearest metro: Islamabad Metro Bus stops near Jinnah Avenue and Blue Area serve F9 Park |
Islamabad has parks, and F-9 Park is one of them. The difference is scale. F-9 Park Islamabad, officially named Fatima Jinnah Park after the sister of Pakistan’s founder, does not feel like a city park when you walk into it.
At 750 acres, F9 Park is one of the largest urban parks in South Asia, comparable in size to Central Park in New York. The entire Sector F-9 of Islamabad’s planned grid is this park. There is no street, no building, no commercial block where the park’s boundary lies. It is all park.
F9 Park Islamabad — Complete Quick Facts
| Official Name | Fatima Jinnah Park (also: Capital Park, F-9 Park, F9 Park) |
| Location | Sector F-9, Islamabad Capital Territory, Pakistan |
| Total Area | 304 hectares — 750 acres |
| Coordinates | 33.7020763°N, 73.0227451°E |
| Designed By | Michael Japero (1992). Master plan: Japan International Cooperation Agency |
| Revised Master Plan | 2005 — Pakistani architect Nayyer Ali Dada |
| Opened | 1992 |
| Managed By | Capital Development Authority (CDA), Islamabad |
| Entry Fee | PKR 30 per person |
| Timings | 9:00 AM to 11:00 PM daily |
| Number of Gates | 5 (Mehran, Bolan, Khyber, Ravi, Gate 5) |
| Jogging Track | Approx. 5.3 km — connects all five gates |
| Key Facilities | Leisure Arena, Cricket Ground, Library, McDonald’s, Fitness Parks, Mosque |
| Nearest Landmark | Blue Area Islamabad (1 km south), Centaurus Mall (2 km east) |
F9 Park Location and How to Get There
The F9 Park Islamabad occupies the entire Sector F-9 of the city’s planned grid. The park is bounded on the south by Jinnah Avenue, on the north by Kashmir Highway, on the east by 9th Avenue (F-8 side), and on the west by Khayaban-e-Suhrwardy (F-10 side).
The central location within Islamabad’s grid means the park is accessible from virtually every major sector within 10 to 20 minutes by car or rickshaw. Blue Area, the city’s main commercial hub, sits approximately one kilometre south of the Mehran Gate entrance on Jinnah Avenue.
Google Maps navigation to ‘F9 Park Islamabad’ or ‘Fatima Jinnah Park’ navigates accurately to whichever gate is closest to your approach direction. The specific gate you target determines which facilities you access first; read the gates section before navigating.
Getting There by Metro
The Islamabad Metro Bus system has stops near Jinnah Avenue, which is the southern boundary of F9 Park. From Blue Area Metro Bus Station, F9 Park’s Mehran Gate on Jinnah Avenue is approximately 1 kilometre walking distance or a short rickshaw ride.
Getting There by Car
From Blue Area: Head west on Jinnah Avenue for approximately 1 kilometre to reach Mehran Gate (Gate 1) on the southern boundary. Parking is available at the gate.
From F-10 Markaz: Head east on Khayaban-e-Suhrwardy toward the western boundary. Bolan Gate (Gate 2) is the entry point from this direction.
From E-9 or Islamabad University side: Khyber Gate (Gate 3) on the northern boundary faces the E-9 sector. From F-8 Markaz: Ravi Gate (Gate 4) on the eastern boundary faces F-8.
All 5 Gates of F9 Park — Names, Locations, and What’s Nearby
F9 Park is enclosed by a steel fence on all four sides. Entry is only possible through the five gates. Knowing which gate to use saves significant walking time inside a 750-acre park. Shahdara Park is another park in Islamabad to visit with kids and family.
| Gate | Name | Location | What’s Closest Inside |
| Gate 1 | Mehran Gate | Southern side — Jinnah Avenue, facing G-9 | Main jogging track entry, McDonald’s, main facilities |
| Gate 2 | Bolan Gate | Western side — facing F-10 | Leisure Arena (formerly Mega Zone) — swimming pool, bowling, arcade |
| Gate 3 | Khyber Gate | Northern side — facing E-9 | Quieter northern section, fitness parks, open lawns |
| Gate 4 | Ravi Gate | Eastern side — 9th Avenue, facing F-8 | Cricket ground access, jogging track east section |
| Gate 5 | Citizen Club Gate | Eastern side — adjacent to Ravi Gate | Citizen Club, previously mass vaccination centre (COVID-19 era) |
If you are visiting for Leisure Arena: use Bolan Gate (Gate 2). In addition, if you are jogging: any gate works — the 5.3-km track connects all of them. If you are visiting for events or concerts on the main lawn: Mehran Gate (Gate 1) is the standard entry for large events.
F9 Park Timings, Entry Fee, and Ticket Price
F9 Park is open daily from 9:00 AM to 11:00 PM. The entry fee is PKR 30 per person. Children under a certain height threshold typically enter free; confirm at the gate on arrival.
Parking is available at each of the five gates at no additional charge. The park does not close on any day of the week but may temporarily restrict access during large events, air shows, or government functions. On national holidays and Eid, the park sees its highest visitor numbers and gate queues can build up from late morning.
F9 Park Jogging Track — Length and What to Know
The jogging track at F9 Park Islamabad is approximately 5.3 kilometres in total length, connecting all five gates in a loop around the park’s inner perimeter. This makes it one of the longest continuous jogging tracks available at any public park in Pakistan.
The track is well-maintained, lit at night, and wide enough for joggers, walkers, and occasional cyclists to share without significant conflict. It is used year-round by a loyal community of morning runners who treat F9 Park as one of Islamabad’s primary fitness destinations.
The 5.3-kilometre track means a single loop is already a solid training run. Two loops give serious runners over 10 kilometres on a smooth, safe, well-lit route, something very few public spaces in the country offer.
Leisure Arena (Formerly Mega Zone) — Complete Facilities Guide
Leisure Arena, located near Bolan Gate (Gate 2) on the western side of F9 Park, is the park’s indoor entertainment complex. It was previously known as Mega Zone and was rebranded as Leisure Arena on December 21, 2019, following extensive renovations.
Swimming Pool
Leisure Arena houses a standard-length swimming pool, one of the few public swimming pools available in Islamabad at an accessible price point. The pool operates on session-based timings with separate slots for different visitor categories.
For swimming pool timings and current session prices at F9 Park, contact Leisure Arena directly or inquire at the Bolan Gate entrance, as session schedules are periodically adjusted.
Sports and Games
Leisure Arena provides table tennis, snooker, bowling lanes, and an arcade games section. These facilities are particularly popular with families visiting on weekends and with younger visitors looking for indoor entertainment options alongside the park’s outdoor spaces.
The sports zone also includes basketball facilities. Equipment hire is available for most facilities inside Leisure Arena at the reception counter.
Shopping and Food Inside Leisure Arena
A shopping arcade within Leisure Arena includes fast food outlets, sportswear shops, and music stores. The complex effectively functions as a self-contained leisure destination for visitors who want indoor activities rather than or in addition to the park’s outdoor spaces.
F9 Park McDonald’s — Which Gate and Why It Matters
McDonald’s F9 Park is one of Islamabad’s most well-known fast food locations and is situated near the Mehran Gate (Gate 1) entrance on Jinnah Avenue. Its position at the main southern entrance makes it a natural first or last stop for park visitors and a standalone destination for Islamabad residents who treat the F9 McDonald’s as a meeting point regardless of whether they enter the park.
The F9 McDonald’s operates during standard McDonald’s timings and is accessible without entering the park itself; you do not need to pay the PKR 30 park entry fee to access the McDonald’s on Jinnah Avenue.
F9 Park Library
F9 Park Islamabad houses a public library within the park grounds, making it one of the very few urban parks in Pakistan with a dedicated reading facility. The F9 Park Library serves students, researchers, and casual readers from the surrounding sectors of Islamabad.
The library is a quieter, less-visited corner of the park and is particularly valued by students from the nearby educational institutions in the Blue Area and F sectors who use it as a study space.
F9 Park Cricket Ground
A dedicated cricket ground within F9 Park serves both formally organised matches and informal weekend games. The ground is one of the most consistently active areas of the park on weekday mornings and weekend afternoons, reflecting the role cricket plays in the daily life of Islamabad’s male population of all ages.
The cricket ground has seen matches ranging from inter-sector club competitions to informal company and family tournaments. The CDA manages booking for formal match days.
Events and Concerts at F9 Park Islamabad
F9 Park Islamabad is the primary large-event venue in the capital for outdoor concerts, festivals, exhibitions, air shows, and national day celebrations. The scale of the park, 750 acres,s makes it the only space in Islamabad capable of accommodating the crowd sizes that major events draw.
Concerts and Music Events
F9 Park has hosted some of Pakistan’s largest outdoor concerts, including performances by major artists. The Atif Aslam concert at F9 Park is among the most searched events associated with the park, reflecting the scale and cultural significance of music events held here.
Concert events at F9 Park typically use the open central lawn area near Mehran Gate as the stage and audience zone. Entry for paid concerts requires a separate event ticket beyond the standard PKR 30 park entry. Free public events use the standard entry process.
F9 Park Islamabad Air Show
The Pakistan Air Force has conducted air shows and aerobatic displays using F9 Park as a public viewing ground. These events attract exceptionally large crowds and typically require visitors to arrive early given the limited entry point capacity through the park’s five gates.
Festivals and Exhibitions
Jashn-e-Islamabad festivals, spring flower shows, defence exhibitions, and seasonal events rotate through F9 Park across the year. Today F9 Park events, F9 Park events today, and F9 Park event today are consistently among the highest-searched terms associated with the park,rk reflecting regular public interest in the current events calendar.
For the most current F9 Park event schedule, follow CDA Islamabad’s official Facebook and Twitter pages, which publish upcoming event announcements one to two weeks ahead of each event date.
F9 Park Vaccination Center — Current Status
During the COVID-19 pandemic, a mass vaccination centre was established at F9 Park adjacent to Gate 4 (Ravi Gate) and Gate 5, at the address: Fatima Jinnah Park, 9th Avenue, F-9, Islamabad. The Citizen Club Mass Vaccination Centre was inaugurated by NCOC chief Asad Umar on May 19, 2021.
At its peak, the F9 Park vaccination centre operated 25 counters and 75 registration desks, vaccinating 7,000 to 10,000 people daily. The centre was subsequently closed following the winding down of the mass vaccination drive.
The F9 Park vaccination center is no longer operational for COVID-19 vaccination. The Citizen Club adjacent to Gate 5 continues to function. Visitors searching for current vaccination or health services should contact the Ministry of National Health Services or PIMS Hospital.
F9 Park Weather — What to Expect by Season
F9 Park’s position in Islamabad’s urban grid means it experiences the same seasonal weather as the wider capital, with some moderation from its tree canopy. The 10,000 trees planted by CDA in 2024 and the existing mature vegetation create a noticeably cooler microclimate inside the park boundaries.
| Season | Months | Temperature | Park Experience |
| Spring | Feb to Apr | 10°C to 24°C | Best overall season. Flowers in bloom, pleasant jogging, spring festivals. |
| Summer | May to Aug | 28°C to 40°C | Morning and evening only. Tree canopy helps. Leisure Arena pool popular. |
| Monsoon | Jul to Sep | 24°C to 34°C | Green and lush after rains. Evenings excellent. Wet track requires careful footwear. |
| Autumn | Oct to Nov | 15°C to 26°C | Excellent. Crisp air, full-day comfort, Islamabad at its most beautiful. |
| Winter | Dec to Jan | 4°C to 14°C | Cold mornings but beautiful fog. Midday visits comfortable. Crowds lower. |
Visitor Accounts — What People Experience at F9 Park
| Regular Morning Jogger, F-8 Resident ★★★★★ I have been running the F9 Park track for four years. The 5.3-kilometre loop is the best public jogging route in Islamabad — well-lit, maintained, and safe at any hour the park is open. The community of morning runners here is consistent and friendly. After the 2024 tree replanting, sections of the track have noticeably more shade than before. I cannot imagine training anywhere else in the city. |
| Family Visit, G-9 Resident ★★★★★ F9 Park is our default weekend plan. The children use the play areas near Mehran Gate while the adults walk the track. We usually end at McDonald’s before leaving. The park on a Saturday morning in October is one of those genuinely pleasant Islamabad experiences that you want to tell people about. The entry fee is so low it barely registers. No other city park in Pakistan offers this scale at this price. |
| Concert Visitor, Atif Aslam Event ★★★★☆ The concert was extraordinary — the open-air setup with the trees as backdrop and that many people in one place is an experience you cannot replicate indoors. The entry through Mehran Gate was smooth. Our honest note: the food stalls inside during the event were very busy and the queues were long. Arrive early, find your position near the stage area before the main performance, and bring water. The park’s size means there is room even in the largest events — the crowd does not feel compressed. |
F9 Park History — The 750-Acre Story
F9 Park Islamabad was designed by Michael Japero and inaugurated in 1992 as part of Islamabad’s planned urban development under the Capital Development Authority. The original master plan was prepared by the Japan International Cooperation Agency, reflecting the international collaboration that characterised Islamabad’s development in the late 20th century.
The park was named Fatima Jinnah Park in honour of Mādar-e-Millat Fatima Jinnah, the younger sister of Muhammad Ali Jinnah. The name reflects both the historical significance of Fatima Jinnah’s role in Pakistan’s independence movement and the intention to name major public infrastructure after significant national figures.
F9 Park, at 304 hectares, is just slightly smaller than Central Park in New York at 341 hectares. This is not a local comparison made for local pride — it is an objective measurement of one of South Asia’s largest urban green spaces sitting in the middle of a planned national capital.
| ✅ Practical Visitor Tips for F9 Park Islamabad: For Leisure Arena (swimming, bowling, arcade): enter via Bolan Gate (Gate 2) on the western side. For jogging: any gate works;s the 5.3-km track connects all five. Morning hours, 6 to 8 AM, are the best for a runner’s experience. For events and concerts: Mehran Gate (Gate 1) on Jinnah Avenue is the standard large-event entry. For McDonald’s: accessible from outside the park on Jinnah Avenue near Mehran Gate;te no entry fee required. On national holidays and Eid: arrive before 10 AM to avoid gate queues that build rapidly from mid-morning. Parking: available at all five gates. The Mehran Gate (Jinnah Avenue) parking fills fastest on weekends. |
Nearby Attractions to Combine With F9 Park
• Blue Area Islamabad: 1 km south of Mehran Gate, the capital’s main commercial and financial district with major restaurants and shopping.
• Centaurus Mall: Approximately 2 km east, Islamabad’s premier shopping mall for retail and dining.
3. Jinnah Super Market, F-7: 3 km southwest, a popular evening destination for food and shopping.
• Daman-e-Koh: 8 km north in the Margalla Hills, the hilltop viewpoint for panoramic views of Islamabad.
• Pakistan Monument: 4 km west, the national symbol and heritage museum.
F9 Park is the largest but not the only major park in Islamabad; read our complete guide to the best parks in the capital for all options.
Frequently Asked Questions — F9 Park Islamabad
F9 Park Islamabad, officially named Fatima Jinnah Park, is a 304-hectare (750-acre) public recreational park that spans the entire Sector F-9 of Islamabad, Pakistan.
F9 Park Islamabad is open from 9:00 AM to 11:00 PM daily, seven days a week. Entry costs PKR 30 per person. Individual facilities within the park, including Leisure Arena, operate on their own schedules.
The entry fee for F9 Park Islamabad is PKR 30 per person. Children under a certain height threshold typically enter free — confirm at the gate. The McDonald’s and some facilities on the park boundary are accessible without paying the park entry fee.
The jogging track at F9 Park Islamabad is approximately 5.3 kilometres in length, connecting all five gates around the park’s inner perimeter. It is one of the longest continuous public jogging tracks in Pakistan.
The nearest metro bus access points to F9 Park Islamabad are near Jinnah Avenue, which forms the southern boundary of the park. The Blue Area Metro Bus Station is approximately 1 kilometre from Mehran Gate (Gate 1) on Jinnah Avenue, reachable on foot or by a short rickshaw ride.
Why F9 Park Remains Islamabad’s Most Important Green Space
Other parks in Islamabad serve specific functions. Margalla Hills is for hiking. Rose and Jasmine Garden is for flowers. Shakarparian is for the view. F9 Park serves all functions simultaneously.
750 acres in the centre of a planned capital city, open to every resident at PKR 30, with a 5.3-kilometre jogging track, a swimming pool, a cricket ground, a library, McDonald’s, concert capacity for tens of thousands, and enough tree cover to meaningfully lower the temperature inside its boundaries, F9 Park Islamabad is not replaceable. Nothing else in the city does what it does.
Visit in October or February for the most comfortable experience. Go early on weekdays for the jogger’s version of the park. On a Saturday evening for the family version. Go for a concert for the city’s version of itself at its most social and most alive.
The PKR 30 entry fee is the best value in the capital. That has not changed since the park opened in 1992.
Read next: Our complete guide to things to do in Islamabad covering all major parks, attractions, food streets, and weekend activities in the capital.
